Page 100 of Undeniable Temptation

“I’m too tired for this shit.” He swung around and carried her back into the living room, ignoring the hard-core wiggle she increased in an effort to break free.

“Down.Now!”

He did as instructed, unceremoniously dumping her on the sofa, her arms and legs flailing. Blake and Mitch didn’t fluctuate from their positions. They didn’t even pay her attention as she began to hyperventilate in livid anger. “You don’t want to do this.”

“Yeah.” Blake returned to his steady rhythm of sit-ups. “We do.”

“I’ll run.”

“With a suitcase and those heels?” Sean raised a brow and dropped down beside her. “Just sit tight until tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? You can’t be serious. I thought this was only going to take an hour. Two, tops. What could Ryan be doing—”

“They took the jet and went back to New York.” Mitch slid his cell onto the coffee table and met her gaze. “It’s going to take time.”

“New York?”No. She shook her head.No.“What are they…? Why are they…?”Christ.She needed answers. Nothing good could come from them going home. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her cell.

“Don’t even think about it.” Sean snatched the device from her grip, leaned to the side, and slid it beneath him.

“Oh, no, you didn’t.” She gaped, her focus on the place where his thighs met the sofa cushions.Fuck.“You just ate my phone with your ass.”

Blake threw his head back and laughed. A long, loud, and over-tired sound she wished she could mimic. No luck. She was furious.

“Payback will be unimaginable.” She stood again, this time smoothing out her clothes and raising her chin to curb her frustration. Her brows descended into a scathing glare before she stalked across the room, heading for the bathroom, Sean’s chuckle a taunting companion.

“You can only pay me back if you stick around.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ryan wasthankful he’d had the foresight to get the jet to San Antonio. The strategy had been far simpler yesterday—get Slicker on a chart, convince Leah they were going to make this work, ditch the tour bus to Houston, and spend the night in a hotel suite. Just the two of them. No clothes. No sleep.

Instead, the jet was touching down in New York, the illuminated night sky greeting him through the tiny window.

“Stop worrying. I’ve had to listen to your brain tick the whole way here.” Mason raised his head from a sleeping position on the opposite sofa. “Nothing is going to go wrong. In fact, I dare someone to take us on.”

“Don’t be a jinx.” Ryan had failed in trying to claim the don’t-give-a-shit attitude Mason had perfected. Evidently, not everyone could enjoy being an asshole. “If something goes wrong…”

“Nothing will go wrong. We’ll be in and out of here like a teen getting his first lay.”

The jet pulled to a stop, the flight attendant opening the door to the main cabin seconds later. “I’ve arranged for the car you requested. It’s already waiting on the tarmac.”

“Thanks.” Ryan stood, not needing to grab any luggage because he’d left San Antonio with nothing but his cell, wallet, and the clothes on his back.

The drive into Manhattan was smooth, the early morning hours quiet while most of the city slept, the desolation in contrast to the frantic buzz inside his chest.

“Are we in the right place?” Mason asked from the front seat of the car.

“Yeah.” The tree-lined street was dead to the world. The houses devoid of inside lights. “Look for number thirty-six.”

The driver slowed, taking in the numbers until they reached their destination. When the vehicle stopped, so did Ryan’s heart. Outside the window was a three-story townhouse, the narrow building dark and confronting.

“We’ll be back soon.” Mason spoke to the driver and climbed from the car.

Ryan wasn’t as quick to rush to the fray. He’d been in a panic to get here, but now the plan loomed in front of him, he questioned what he was doing. Leah could end up hating him. She may never speak to him again. The prospect had him second-guessing everything. Even the depth of his breaths.

“Hurry the fuck up,” Mason called from the street.

Shit.Ryan unclicked his belt, opened the door, and slid into the night air. “Keep your voice down.”